School survey finds many parents don't want change

By Leigh KelleyTimes-News Staff Writer

Published: Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 12:15 a.m.

A substantial number of parents at Bruce Drysdale and Hendersonville elementaries said in a survey that they did not want any changes made to the structure of the two schools. Many of those who did want change, however, said they preferred the suggestion that Bruce Drysdale become a magnet school.

Meagan Karvonen, associate professor for Educational Research at Western Carolina University, presented the survey results at a Henderson County School Board workshop Wednesday evening.

“At both schools, there was a fairly sizable segment of the population who wanted things to stay the same,” Karvonen said. “Forty-nine Bruce Drysdale families or 41 percent responded that they wanted things to stay the same and 211 Hendersonville Elementary families or 75 percent responded that they wanted things to stay the same.”

The survey asked parents how they felt about four possible options for changing the structure of Hendersonville's two elementary schools. The options, compiled by a study committee, are:

• Bruce Drysdale becomes a magnet school in technology with the opportunity for a dual-language program (Spanish);

• Merge the student populations of Bruce Drysdale and Hendersonville Elementaries with two campuses (one containing grades K-2 and the other grades 3-5);

• Retain Hendersonville Elementary as a “non-district” school without a specific attendance district, but provide transportation and priority enrollment to students within the Bruce Drysdale Elementary district;

• Recreate school districts in Henderson County to define a Hendersonville Elementary district.

When asked to rank the four options in order of preference, among Bruce Drysdale families that indicated a preference, 27 families (36 percent) chose the magnet school option as their first choice, Karvonen said. The merger option was the first choice for 25 families (33 percent). Fifteen families (20 percent) chose redistricting as their first choice, and nine families (12 percent) chose the priority enrollment option as their first choice, according to the survey.

Among Hendersonville Elementary parents who indicated a preference, 34 families (50 percent) chose the magnet school option as their first choice, followed by 13 families (19 percent) that chose the merger option, 12 families (18 percent) that chose the priority enrollment option, and nine families (13 percent) that wanted the redistricting option.

In a breakdown of survey results by race, six non-white families and nine white families at Bruce Drysdale were in favor of recreating school districts, compared to two non-white families and seven white families at Hendersonville Elementary, Karvonen said. For the merger option, the breakdown showed that seven non-white families and six white families at Hendersonville Elementary favored a merger compared to 12 non-white families and 13 white families at Bruce Drysdale.

As for the magnet school option, among Bruce Drysdale parents, 16 non-white families and 11 white families favored the magnet school option, according to the survey. Among Hendersonville Elementary parents, four non-white families and 30 white families favored the magnet school option. Results for the priority enrollment option indicated that six non-white families and three white families of Bruce Drysdale students wanted this option, compared to 12 white families at Hendersonville Elementary. There were no non-white families at Hendersonville Elementary that preferred the priority option, Karvonen said.

In response to the question, “If the district decided to choose an option that was not one of your top two priorities, how likely are you to move your child to a different school?,” more than half of Hendersonville Elementary parents responded “Yes, I would move my child” compared to less than a third of the Bruce Drysdale parents, according to the survey results.

Many parents took the opportunity to write comments, Karvonen said, adding that equality for their children was important to Bruce Drysdale parents.

“The concerns certainly were about equality,” she said. “They understood the disadvantages of high poverty and yet, they valued a diverse setting for their children.”

Hendersonville Elementary parents expressed empathy for Bruce Drysdale and the problems facing the school, the professor said. However, the responses also showed anxiety among Hendersonville Elementary parents who felt that the school should not be merged with Bruce Drysdale and turned into “one mediocre” school.

Other Hendersonville parent responses included comments that parental involvement was the problem at Bruce Drysdale.

“There were concerns with the merger option, but support for the magnet option,” Karvonen said. “They (Hendersonville Elementary parents) didn't buy the claims about a rigged lottery.”

School Board Vice Chair Melissa Maurer said she agreed that Hendersonville Elementary parents are not unmindful of the challenges facing Bruce Drysdale.

“I think a lot of them see the bigger picture that it behooves them to see everybody do well, because all these kids will come together when they get to middle and high school,” she said.

The audience applauded a statement made by School Board member Amy Lynn Holt about the survey results.

“This is not a black and white problem — this is a poverty problem,” she said.

After the presentation, board member Shannon Baldwin said he believed a merger will happen eventually, adding that perhaps attaching a date that is far away, such as 2018, would make the idea more favorable to people. He stressed that the board “needs to make a commitment to Bruce Drysdale” to see test scores improve regardless of what happens.

Other board members did not seem to agree with Baldwin, as Chairman Ervin Bazzle said he had not seen any evidence thus far to convince him that a merger was a solution.

“But nothing is off the table,” he added.

During a brainstorming session facilitated by Bryce Malsbury, who served as the facilitator for the study committee's meetings, several ideas were discussed about how to improve both schools, but especially Bruce Drysdale.

Those ideas included: provide transportation to Hendersonville Elementary for Bruce Drysdale students living in the Bruce Drysdale district; share during intersession the technology and volunteers with both schools; clarify the lottery process and make changes as necessary; create a dual-language program at Bruce Drysdale; find highly qualified teachers for Bruce Drysdale when positions become open; and establish a monitoring and evaluation system with benchmarks and accountability for progress which goes beyond the end-of-grade tests.

Board members directed staff to look at what it would take to provide bus transportation for Bruce Drysdale students to Hendersonville Elementary and have that information ready by the March meeting in order for the board to make a decision on whether to proceed with it. The decision must be made quickly because there is an April deadline for student transfers, said Maurer.

Staff members will also report back to the board at next month's meeting about how to implement the ideas brainstormed Wednesday.

The survey results will be available Friday on the school district's website at www.hendersoncountypublicschoolsnc.org.

<p>A substantial number of parents at Bruce Drysdale and Hendersonville elementaries said in a survey that they did not want any changes made to the structure of the two schools. Many of those who did want change, however, said they preferred the suggestion that Bruce Drysdale become a magnet school.</p><p>Meagan Karvonen, associate professor for Educational Research at Western Carolina University, presented the survey results at a Henderson County School Board workshop Wednesday evening. </p><p>“At both schools, there was a fairly sizable segment of the population who wanted things to stay the same,” Karvonen said. “Forty-nine Bruce Drysdale families or 41 percent responded that they wanted things to stay the same and 211 Hendersonville Elementary families or 75 percent responded that they wanted things to stay the same.”</p><p>The survey asked parents how they felt about four possible options for changing the structure of Hendersonville's two elementary schools. The options, compiled by a study committee, are:</p><p>• Bruce Drysdale becomes a magnet school in technology with the opportunity for a dual-language program (Spanish);</p><p>• Merge the student populations of Bruce Drysdale and Hendersonville Elementaries with two campuses (one containing grades K-2 and the other grades 3-5);</p><p>• Retain Hendersonville Elementary as a “non-district” school without a specific attendance district, but provide transportation and priority enrollment to students within the Bruce Drysdale Elementary district;</p><p>• Recreate school districts in Henderson County to define a Hendersonville Elementary district.</p><p>When asked to rank the four options in order of preference, among Bruce Drysdale families that indicated a preference, 27 families (36 percent) chose the magnet school option as their first choice, Karvonen said. The merger option was the first choice for 25 families (33 percent). Fifteen families (20 percent) chose redistricting as their first choice, and nine families (12 percent) chose the priority enrollment option as their first choice, according to the survey.</p><p>Among Hendersonville Elementary parents who indicated a preference, 34 families (50 percent) chose the magnet school option as their first choice, followed by 13 families (19 percent) that chose the merger option, 12 families (18 percent) that chose the priority enrollment option, and nine families (13 percent) that wanted the redistricting option. </p><p>In a breakdown of survey results by race, six non-white families and nine white families at Bruce Drysdale were in favor of recreating school districts, compared to two non-white families and seven white families at Hendersonville Elementary, Karvonen said. For the merger option, the breakdown showed that seven non-white families and six white families at Hendersonville Elementary favored a merger compared to 12 non-white families and 13 white families at Bruce Drysdale.</p><p>As for the magnet school option, among Bruce Drysdale parents, 16 non-white families and 11 white families favored the magnet school option, according to the survey. Among Hendersonville Elementary parents, four non-white families and 30 white families favored the magnet school option. Results for the priority enrollment option indicated that six non-white families and three white families of Bruce Drysdale students wanted this option, compared to 12 white families at Hendersonville Elementary. There were no non-white families at Hendersonville Elementary that preferred the priority option, Karvonen said.</p><p>In response to the question, “If the district decided to choose an option that was not one of your top two priorities, how likely are you to move your child to a different school?,” more than half of Hendersonville Elementary parents responded “Yes, I would move my child” compared to less than a third of the Bruce Drysdale parents, according to the survey results.</p><p>Many parents took the opportunity to write comments, Karvonen said, adding that equality for their children was important to Bruce Drysdale parents. </p><p>“The concerns certainly were about equality,” she said. “They understood the disadvantages of high poverty and yet, they valued a diverse setting for their children.”</p><p>Hendersonville Elementary parents expressed empathy for Bruce Drysdale and the problems facing the school, the professor said. However, the responses also showed anxiety among Hendersonville Elementary parents who felt that the school should not be merged with Bruce Drysdale and turned into “one mediocre” school. </p><p>Other Hendersonville parent responses included comments that parental involvement was the problem at Bruce Drysdale.</p><p>“There were concerns with the merger option, but support for the magnet option,” Karvonen said. “They (Hendersonville Elementary parents) didn't buy the claims about a rigged lottery.”</p><p>School Board Vice Chair Melissa Maurer said she agreed that Hendersonville Elementary parents are not unmindful of the challenges facing Bruce Drysdale.</p><p>“I think a lot of them see the bigger picture that it behooves them to see everybody do well, because all these kids will come together when they get to middle and high school,” she said.</p><p>The audience applauded a statement made by School Board member Amy Lynn Holt about the survey results.</p><p>“This is not a black and white problem — this is a poverty problem,” she said.</p><p>After the presentation, board member Shannon Baldwin said he believed a merger will happen eventually, adding that perhaps attaching a date that is far away, such as 2018, would make the idea more favorable to people. He stressed that the board “needs to make a commitment to Bruce Drysdale” to see test scores improve regardless of what happens.</p><p>Other board members did not seem to agree with Baldwin, as Chairman Ervin Bazzle said he had not seen any evidence thus far to convince him that a merger was a solution.</p><p>“But nothing is off the table,” he added.</p><p>During a brainstorming session facilitated by Bryce Malsbury, who served as the facilitator for the study committee's meetings, several ideas were discussed about how to improve both schools, but especially Bruce Drysdale. </p><p>Those ideas included: provide transportation to Hendersonville Elementary for Bruce Drysdale students living in the Bruce Drysdale district; share during intersession the technology and volunteers with both schools; clarify the lottery process and make changes as necessary; create a dual-language program at Bruce Drysdale; find highly qualified teachers for Bruce Drysdale when positions become open; and establish a monitoring and evaluation system with benchmarks and accountability for progress which goes beyond the end-of-grade tests.</p><p>Board members directed staff to look at what it would take to provide bus transportation for Bruce Drysdale students to Hendersonville Elementary and have that information ready by the March meeting in order for the board to make a decision on whether to proceed with it. The decision must be made quickly because there is an April deadline for student transfers, said Maurer.</p><p>Staff members will also report back to the board at next month's meeting about how to implement the ideas brainstormed Wednesday.</p><p>The survey results will be available Friday on the school district's website at www.hendersoncountypublicschoolsnc.org.</p><p>Reach Kelley at 828-694-7871 or at leigh.kelley@blueridgenow.com.</p>